Congratulations! You have either just recently started your small business, or you are in the final stages of convincing yourself that it is time to take the plunge. Whether you have done this to take control of your future, or you were an independent contractor who decided that there were additional tax savings to be had, the most important this is that you have done it.

Now, the key is to not make the key mistake of not properly filing the proper tax returns, and to make the necessary tax payments. After all, this is the reason you hear advertisements on the TV and radio asking if you owe more than $100,000 to either the IRS or the state. Do NOT let this happen to you. Read on to learn more about managing your small business accounting and why you may want to hire a Business Manager.

Regularly Scheduled Payroll

If you are the only employee in your small business, how and when you pay yourself is really up to you; however, if you have employees, they will expect to be paid on a regularly scheduled basis. What goes along with paying employees is the handling of their appropriate deductions and withholding amounts, as well as the appropriate employer matches to Social Security and Medicare taxes. Failure to appropriately handle these funds has caused long lasting tax problems for small and large business owners.

Payroll Tax Payment and Reporting

Regardless of how often you pay yourself and/or your employees, the state and federal government demand that reports get filed, along with the appropriate tax payments on a strict schedule. Failure to file these reports and make timely payments can result in severe penalties, which unfortunately revert back to the owner of the business. Learn early on what these amounts are, and when these reports are due, and you will be thankful you did.

Small Business Accounting

Odds are that unless you are an accountant, you did not start your business to spend all of your time bookkeeping. While your primary focus is that of either developing your products and/or services, or marketing them, failure to spend the requisite amount of time taking care of the business accounting and bookkeeping can negate the potential tax savings that can come your way, simply because you own a small business.

Small Business Software

Today, small business software is everywhere. I have even seen companies giving it away on the internet. There are a number of “off the shelf” Accounting programs on the market today, but quite frankly, many small business owners are finding them too complex to fully utilize without a significant amount of accounting knowledge to start with. If you have the accounting knowledge, or are willing to put in the necessary amount of time to acquire it, the packages are fully capable of doing everything you need them to do. The question to ask yourself is “How much time do I really want to spend on this?” and “What is this amount of time costing me in lost sales?”

Costs and Efficiency

It doesn ́t matter if you are an Independent Contractor Physician, or a Salesman who has decided to break away from “Corporate America” and go it alone, every small business owner knows that you get to keep more money if you can figure out how to do more with less expense. Maximizing your efficiency is something a Business Manager would be able to help you with. You get to spend your time doing what makes you and your business manager is solely focused on doing the things that you don ́t make you money, i.e., payroll, tax reporting and accounts payable, among other things.

Don’t let yourself get caught in the tax trap of missing filing deadlines, and not making payroll tax payments at the appropriate time. Take the steps necessary early when you are still building your business, rather than having to deal with tax liens and legal bills when your business is successful.

My Professional CFO, LLC, is a Business Management firm providing the highest level of service in three key areas of importance to Independent Contractor Physicians, Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs.

We specialize in Corporation filings and ongoing Compliance, Accounting and Payroll, and Investment Management. Our professionals will assist you in forming the appropriate type of company for your situation and work with you to make sure your company remains compliant. We provide ongoing Accounting and Payroll services to make certain all bills are paid and necessary tax forms and withholding payments are made in a timely manner, as well as the set up and management of your retirement accounts.

We are not simply a document filing service; we are here to help you with the part of the business that you have to do, so you can focus on what you love to do.

Alan Conner, MBA – President of My Professional CFO, LLC has nearly 2 decades of experience working with professionals and small business during both the start-up and ongoing management. He has written countless business plans and has managed assets for both institutions and high net worth clients.

Email us with any questions or call us at: 1-800-517-0CFO (1-800-517-0236)

About Alan

With nearly two decades of experience in the industry, Alan Conner works hard to build long term relationships with clients that meet their needs and goals. With a solid background in accounting and banking, Alan has the ability to offer the professional financial services and advice you need most! Schedule a call or E-mail Alan today.

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